Salt River Bars

As much as I post about different desserts on this blog I don’t really have a sweet tooth.  I know it might be hard to believe, but when it comes to baked goods I’ll take salty/sweet over just sweet any day. 

That’s why I love these salt river bars. Do I know why they’re called salt river bars?  No.  Do I care?  No.  Could I eat an entire 8x8 pan of these in one sitting?  Absolutely.  

They’re salty, chocolaty, crispy, peanut buttery, and amazing.   If I could I’d hide in my room and eat these all day I would. Thankfully I’ve got amazing friends that take food like this away from me so I eat real food... and leave my house.  If I didn’t have said friends I don’t think I’d be writing this post.  In reality I’d probably be knee deep in thousands of these trying to eat my way out. 

Sure I’m exaggerating, but not by much.  As someone who can’t really eat too many sweets, these have easily become one of my biggest guilty pleasure foods.  And it takes a lot to get to that list.  So, make these now.  I mean it; they’re easy and absolutely delicious.  Make them for a party, or for a snack, or  for yourself.  They’re worth it.

Here’s what you’ll need (from here):

1 box Club Crackers 

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips 

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

coarse sea salt

Line an 8x8 pan with foil and grease it.  Place 15 crackers on the bottom of the pan and sprinkle peanut butter chips over the crackers.  

Melt brown sugar and sugar in a saucepan until they start to bubble around the edges and it has turned smooth and creamy.  

Pour a third of the mix over the crackers and spread it evenly.

Place another layer of crackers and peanut butter chips and pour the carmel on top again.  Repeat this one more time and then place a final layer of crackers on top.  

Melt the chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave for 30 second intervals mixing after each one.  When the chocolate is fully melted pour on top of the crackers and spread evenly.

Place in the refrigerator to cool and after about 10 minutes take out and sprinkle sea salt onto the chocolate.  Put back into the refrigerator and let the chocolate cool completely.  When the chocolate has cooled completely remove from the refrigerator and cut into squares.  

Now, if you finished this post before starting to make these there's something wrong with you.  Go. Make. Eat.  Every second you're wasting reading this is a second that you're not eating one of these.  

Banana Oat Pancakes

This summer I’ve developed an obsession with all things banana.  I’ve tried to keep most of the banana related things that I’ve made this summer off of my blog, but sometimes I can’t help it.  This recipe is one of those times.

Not having a job this summer has given me a lot of time to get hungry and then a lot more time to figure out what I want to eat.  Sure there are times when I get lazy and just decide to eat half a block of cheese because it’s there, but there are also times when I spend a good thirty minutes to an hour searching the internet for something to fill my craving.  That’s where I found this recipe for banana oat pancakes.

Sure the recipe is a bit complicated, but when you’re too impatient to wait an hour for banana bread to cook these bad boys will do in a pinch.  These might not be like a lot of other pancakes, instead of being light and fluffy these are super moist and thick, but they’re oh so satisfying.

So if you’re having guests over for breakfast break this recipe out.  It definitely helped to satisfy my banana cravings this summer!

Here’s what you’ll need (adapted from here):

1 ½ cups milk

5 tablespoons of butter

1 ½ cup quick oats

1/3 cup flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

1/3 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs separated

2 ripe bananas

In a saucepan heat the milk and butter until small bubbles begin to appear around the edges of the pan.  Remove from heat and stir in the oatmeal.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon.

Once the oatmeal mixture has cooled stir in the egg yolks and begin to add the dry ingredients until they’re just mixed in.

Beat the egg whites until they’re stiff and then fold into the oatmeal mixture.  Add the bananas at the same time.

Pour the batter on a lightly greased hot griddle and spread the batter until the pancakes are about 3-4 inches in diameter.  Once small bubbles have appeared on the top of the pancake flip it to the other side and let cook until the bottom is brown.

Serve while they’re hot with butter and syrup, or whatever pancake toppings you want!  You can also add chocolate chips or walnuts into the batter to add sweetness or a crunch!

In a saucepan heat the milk and butter until small bubbles begin to appear around the edges of the pan.  Remove from heat and stir in the oatmeal. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon.  Once the oatmeal mixture has cooled stir in the egg yolks and begin to add the dry ingredients until they’re just mixed in.  Beat the egg whites until they’re stiff and then fold into the oatmeal mixture.  Add the bananas at the same time.

Pour the batter on a lightly greased hot griddle and spread the batter until the pancakes are about 3-4 inches in diameter.  Once small bubbles have appeared on the top of the pancake flip it to the other side and let cook until the bottom is brown.

Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions

When you come from a family that’s got absolutely no Italian blood whatsoever you’ve got to make do with the tomato sauce that you’re given.  This usually means using store-bought sauces and lots of parmesan cheese, and as I’ve said before I’ll never complain about lots of cheese.

And as much as I enjoy store bought tomato sauce, there are days when I hear stories about friends whose grandparents have forced them to spend hot summer days in their backyards canning tomato sauce. As crazy as it seems I can’t help but be jealous of the delicious tomato sauce that must come out of those hot and messy days.  But like I said, I’ve learned to make do with my lack of Italian heritage and thanks to the internet I’ve found a recipe that’s so easy even a mostly Irish girl like me can make it!

I saw this on SmittenKitchen a long time ago, and after hearing her raving about it I knew I had to try it.  This isn’t your typical tomato sauce, it’s plain and hearty in a way that marinara just isn’t (don’t worry I’m not hating on marinara though).  The sauce itself only requires three ingredients and the flavor that you get from the sauce so much greater than the effort that you put into making the sauce, and even if you’re one of those lucky that knows how to make their own sauce you should try making this sauce at least once.  It’ll knock you off your seat.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)

5 tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium-sized yellow onion

Peel the onion, cut it in half and place it in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add the butter and the tomatoes.  Allow the sauce to simmer and then lower the heat so that the sauce stays at a steady simmer.  Let the sauce simmer for about 45 minutes, or until you see droplets of fat floating free from the tomatoes.  During the 45 minutes crush the tomatoes against the side of the pot to break them up.

Remove the sauce from heat and take the onion out of the sauce.  Add salt to taste if needed.

And there you have it!  That’s all you need to do for rich, hearty, and amazing tomato sauce that I’m honestly salivating just thinking about!

Peel the onion and cut it in half and place it in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add the butter and the tomatoes.  Allow the sauce to simmer and then lower the heat so that the sauce stays at a steady simmer.  Let the sauce simmer for about 45 minutes, or until you see droplets of fat floating free from the tomatoes.  During the 45 minutes crush the tomatoes against the side of the pot to break them up.

Remove the sauce from heat and take the onion out of the sauce.  Add salt to taste if needed.

Coconut, Peanut Butter Chip, & Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve been on a cookie kick this summer.  Or rather, I’ve really been on a cookie kick this summer.  Since high school cookies have been one of my favorite things to make for a lot of reasons.  One reason being that once you get the pattern behind making them down the process itself is fairly calming: cream the butter and sugar, add the egg and vanilla, and slowly add in the dry ingredients. Another reason being that they’re so incredibly versatile and once you’re comfortable with a recipe (or bored with one) you can play around with it and do what you want.

The second reason is exactly where the inspiration for these cookies came from. Well, sort of where the inspiration for these cookies came from... hunger played a major role as did only having coconut, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips in my pantry.  Between my kitchen’s mysterious lack of butter and my obvious lack of a real recipe for these cookies I went to work on cookies that were potentially destined for disaster.

These cookies were anything but disastrous.  They turned out to be delicious; not only were they chewy and crunchy at the same time, but also simultaneously flaky and dense. And the coconut, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips?  They were amazing together.  I’m not the type of person to toot my own horn, but when it comes to cookies I  know what I like, and these cookies were some of the best that I’ve ever eaten.  

I could go on talking about them for hours, or you could just try to make them yourself.  They’re your basic recipe and you don’t need to refrigerate the dough, just mix everything together and put onto a cookie sheet.  So stop reading this post and go make them.  No really, go make them now.  

Here’s what you’ll need:

½ cup vegetable shortening

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

1 egg

½ -⅔ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

½ cup chocolate chips

½ cup peanut butter chips

1 cup coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Mix the shortening and sugars together until smooth and then add the egg and vanilla.  

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt into the bowl and fold into the dough until it’s fully incorporated. 

 Fold the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and coconut flakes into the dough and mix together.   

Place the dough on a baking sheet and flatten the cookies a bit with your fingers.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.  Take out of the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before taking them off of the baking sheet.  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Mix the shortening and sugars together until smooth and then add the egg and vanilla.  Add the flour, baking soda, and salt into the bowl and fold into the dough until it’s fully incorporated.  Fold the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and coconut flakes into the dough and mix together.   

Place the dough on a baking sheet and flatten the cookies a bit with your fingers.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.  Take out of the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before taking them off of the baking sheet.  

Gazpacho

Sometimes I hate the heat.  Don’t get me wrong, I love summer and most things associated with it (the biggest exception being bugs), but there’s something about muggy days that I just can’t stand.  I think the problem is that I’m no good at dealing with random changes in temperature, and sometimes it seems like that’s all summers in New York are.  One day the weather will be sunny with a high of 75 degrees and no humidity and then the next day it’ll be muggy with a high of 93 degrees.

If living in an area that has random weather changes has taught me anything its how to adjust cooking styles to fit the weather, and this is one of the many reasons why I love recipes that require no heat.  They’re perfect for hot days when you can’t even think about cooking over a stove without wanting to pass out.

Over the last few years I’ve gained a big appreciation for gazpacho and how refreshing it can be on a hot day.  It’s crisp and spicy flavor make a simple vegetable dish into something completely delicious, and even though it might be an acquired taste for some it’s so easy to make and perfect on hot summer days.  You can make it chunkier and have the vegetables coarsely chopped, or you can use a food processor to make the vegetables smaller and easier to mix.  Either way, this is a simple and full-bodied dish that can't be beat!

Here’s what you’ll need (adapted from here):

1 ½ cucumbers

2 red bell peppers

4 plum tomatoes

¾ red onion

3 cloves of garlic

3 cups of tomato juice

1 jalapeno

1 green pepper

¼ cup rice vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

2 tsp kosher salt

¾ tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp cayenne pepper

Chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapeno, and onion so that each piece is about ½ inch in size.  One at a time put each vegetable into a food processor and chop them.  Make sure that the pieces end up being about the same size, but you don’t want to overprocess the vegetables and make them into a paste.

After processing each vegetable put it into a large bowl and when all of the vegetables have been processed add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, oil, salt, and peppers.  Stir together and let chill before serving.

The longer you let the ingredients mix together the more unified the flavors become!  Next time you’re in the middle of a heatwave and can’t even think about turning your stovetop on to make something for dinner, try this gazpacho.  You won’t regret it!

Chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapeno, and onion so that each piece is about ½ inch in size.  One at a time put each vegetable into a food processor and chop them.  Make sure that the pieces end up being about the same size, but you don’t want to overprocess the vegetables and make them into a paste.

After processing each vegetable put it into a large bowl and when all of the vegetables have been processed add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, oil, salt, and peppers.  Stir together and let chill before serving.

The longer you let the ingredients mix together the more unified the flavors become!

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Sometimes I think people overestimate my skill level when I tell them that I’m going to culinary school... or at least they underestimate my laziness.  There are certain dishes that sound like they take a lot of prep work and a lot of effort, but in reality they take a total of 30 minutes to make.  That’s where the majority of my “impressive” dishes are from, and these cheesecake stuffed strawberries are one of them.



Yes, you heard that right: cheesecake stuffed strawberries... and they’re easy.  So easy that anyone with a bowl, a knife, and a ziploc can make them, and that’s not an exaggeration by any means.  For maybe 30 minutes of effort you can get delicious, creamy, juicy, fruity, wonderful dessert that is sure to impress any crowd (I know from experience).  I’ve already had three people ask me to make them again and last night was the first time I made them, but it definitely wasn’t the last.



So give them a try, especially during the summer when strawberries are at their peak.  The juiciness of the strawberries gives the cheesecake an entirely new, and even more amazing flavor.



Here’s what you’ll need (more or less stolen from here:)
1 lb of large, whole strawberries
1 8 oz block of cream cheese
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract



Rinse the strawberries and cut the tops of the strawberries off.  With a small melon baller if you have one, or a paring knife hollow out the inside of the strawberry.  Repeat this step with all of the strawberries and place them aside.



In a medium sized bowl mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until they’re fully incorporated.  Then put into a ziploc bag and cut one of the corners off; this acts as a makeshift piping bag for the cheesecake mix.



Fill the strawberries with the cheesecake mixture and try to even out the cheesecake mix inside of it.



Next, dip the tops of the strawberries into graham cracker crumbs to make a ‘crust’ and chill in the refrigerator until they’re ready to serve!





Rinse the strawberries and cut the tops of the strawberries off.  With a small melon baller if you have one, or a paring knife hollow out the inside of the strawberry.  Repeat this step with all of the strawberries and place them aside.

In a medium sized bowl mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until they’re fully incorporated.  Then put into a ziploc bag and cut one of the corners off; this acts as a makeshift piping bag for the cheesecake mix.

Fill the strawberries with the cheesecake mixture and try to even out the cheesecake mix inside of it.  Next, dip the tops of the strawberries into graham cracker crumbs to make a ‘crust’ and chill in the refrigerator until they’re ready to serve!